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Even the most talented employees can hurt their careers by doing things such as whining when they don't get their way, not being open to feedback and ignoring the boss, Anita Bruzzese writes. "Gifted workers often feel they have the best ideas and they often do. That doesn't mean they can treat the boss as if he or she is a potted plant," she writes.

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The Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Massachusetts will close by June 1, 2019, Entergy said today. The company cited unfavorable market conditions as among the reasons for the decision. "The decision to close Pilgrim was incredibly difficult because of the effect on our employees and the communities in which they work and live. But market conditions and increased costs led us to reluctantly conclude that we had no option other than to shut down the plant," said Entergy Chairman and CEO Leo Denault.

New employees are often scrutinized, so they should avoid gossiping, checking Facebook all day or violating the dress code, Anita Bruzzese writes. Bosses "want to spend their time coaching and training you in your new job, not telling you that your hairstyle is scaring customers," she writes.

The construction of two new reactors at Southern Co.'s Plant Vogtle in Georgia plays a key role in the future of the U.S. nuclear industry, observers say. "Everybody's watching the construction of that plant," said Barry Moline, executive director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association. "If they can do it, that will be the model," he added. Executives at Southern say they are ready for the challenge.

Bees may have an unexpected positive impact on soybean yields, despite the crop's ability to self-pollinate.
"They are going to the flowers, but we don’t know yet what that means for the plant," said Matt O’Neal, a Iowa State University entomologist whose team discovered that 20% to 25% of bees carried soybean pollen. "The challenge is to see whether they affect yield. There is some evidence in scientific literature that they may improve yields."

The best drivers of IT innovation are often the most troublesome day-to-day employees, writes Susan Cramm, because they love to question illogical processes. Companies need to utilize these "lead users" by freeing them from routine operations so that they can improve the way the company runs, she argues. Set up a "gifted and talented" IT program, she suggests, giving the best and the brightest the time to examine how and why a company runs the way it does and then support them with the resources to rebuild.